Machine for peeling potatoes and the like.



. W. NORTHROP.

MACHINE FOR FEELING POTATOES AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED APILZB. 1910.

1,066,519, Patented July 8, 1913.

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.l H 9 [VITNESS/fh. [v 7IZNVENTOR.

WALL By M 7 40 a" A TTORNEY.

PAEENT OFFICE.

wAriTEEfNoE riitor. 0E TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR To HERBERT J. ATKINsoN Nn EEEn RIcK ATKINSON, BOTH 0E TORONTO, cANAEA.

f i MACHINE FOR FEELING POTATOES AND THE LIKE.

To (lZZ'whOHL i2 may concern Beit known that -I, lVALTER NORTI-IROP, of the city of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and usefulrilmprovements in Machines for Peeling Potatoesa'nd the Like, of which the following istatspecification. Myt object is to'devise a machine which will quickly and effectively remove the skin from *the potatoesand the like without wasting; the substance of the potato.

lnuputting my invention into practice I employa statioiiaryFcylindrieal vessel, at the bottom lof vwhich is located a rotary disk provided with a novel decorticating surface. The difliculty hasbe'en to prevent the potatoesbeingcu't into .too deeply in sounpla es before the skin on the rest of the potato was entirely removed. This was due to the factthat centrifugal actioncaused the potatoes to crowd together at the Cll'CtllllfUl'tlltit. ot' the disk, without properly rotating. and al o to the impossibility of speeding up the disk suiiiciently to rapidly tun'ible the potatoes without at the same time causing it to cut too rapidly into any potato which happened to be held in contact with it in any way for mo'e than a very brief period of time at any one part.

I ha e overcome the difliculties, 1st, by securing to the receptacle one or more vertical deflectors inclined inwardly and adapted to force the potatoes coming into contact with them into the center of the machine; 2nd, by forming the decorticating surface of the disk with a series of radial serrated blades separated by alternate smooth portions of the plane upper surface of thedisk. The disk may thus be speeded up without wasteful cutting of the potatoes,'and the friction of the potatoes on the rapidly rotating disk will then effectively tumble them to expose all parts of their surface evenly to the decorticating action.

Further improvements lie in the means I employ for dischargin the peeled potatoes, and in other details of construction hereinafter more specifically described, and then definitely claimed.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 28. 1910. Serial No. 558,243.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fi 3 is a side elevation of part of the same.

11 the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Patented Ji1ly8, 1913.

Above the true bottom is a false bottom comprising a suitably shaped disk 1 secured to the shaft G, vertically journaled from cover of the apparatus. This vertical shaft driven by bevelgearing II from the suitably journuled horizontal shaft I provided with an ordinary crank handle Q. The disk I supports the decorticating disk t. This disk instead of having its whole upper sur face formed as a decorticating surface is formed in sections alternately cutting and non-cutting as regards their upper surface. The cutting sections are preferably formed of serrated blades such as ordinary hacksaw blades set in substantially radial grooves in the disk with their serrated edges slightly above the surface of the disk. By this construction of the disk I secure the advantages already set out in the preamble to this spccitication. In addition, the saw blades will be found to be durable and when worn are readily removed and sharpened or replaced.

Secured to the sides of the receptacle, diametrically opposite to, one another. are two deflectors K, each formed preferably of a piece of sheet metal bent to give the deflectors a substantially triangular form in cross section, the base of the triangle being applied to the wall of the receptacle. The sides are preferably curved as shown and the vertical cross sections are also substanxfltilly triangular. One of the concaved faces of the deflectors is more extensive than the other, the two faces being curved on different are? The less extensive face of one of the .Lflectors being arranged diametricallv opposite the more extensive face of the other deflector. These deflectors change the direction of motion of the potatoes whicli' strike them and throw the potatoes in toward the center, tending also to turn them over by a vertical rotary movement. This not only distributes the work I "it riv r the surface of the disk but prevents the iniding awa'y of the'substance of the poto as already set out in the preafnble to specification. Each deflector being .1 double will operate effectively no matter in which direction the disk may be rotated. It be noted that when the scraper is turned in-adirection to throw the potatoes in con-f tact with the less extensive face, the same willdirectthe potatoes toward the center of theeeraper at a different angle thanwhen' thepotatoes are thrown in contact with the more extensive face, this variation in the throw secur ng a more effectual scraplng,

than where the deflector is arranged to,

throw the potatoes at the same angle.

Water for washing purposes is introduced through the nozzle L," to which may be cona ground skins and dirt are washed down to nected a hose leading from any suitable source of supply.

' In the side of the receptacle I provide an opening normally closed by the door N. The operation of the device is substantially as follows :Potatoes in proper quantities are introduced through the cover, the

water ltu'rned'on and the-machine started in motion. The, rotation of the disk brings {every art of the surfaceof each potato in "contact with the decorticating surface there eif efliectually grinding off the skin. The

through thepipe E. 'When the potatoes are finished, the door is opened, and they are discharged by. the centrifugal force imparted totheln by the disk.

A machine constructed as I have y described will be-found, to be very eifective. in operation, doing work very quickly and with little loss.

Whatl claim, as my invention is:'

1. A vegetable peel'er including a receptacle, a rotary'ser'aper disposed within the receptacle, diametrically disposed deflectors secured to the inner wall of the receptacle,

,said deflectors being formed with concaved faces one of which is'more extensive than the other, the more extensiveface of one of said deflectors being disposed diametrically opposite the less extensive face of the other deflector. 1 I

2. A-vegetable peeler including a receptacle, a rotary scraper disposed within said receptacle, deflectors secured to the inner wall of the receptacle, said deflectors being the lower or true bo-ttom whence they pass 

